1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a multi-player game similar to craps, and more particularly toward a multi-player table or video-based wagering game.
2. Related Art
Craps is a long established game with a colorful history. During World Wars I and II, the game enjoyed resurgence in popularity due to servicemen finding a way to fill idle time. When these same servicemen came home from the war having been exposed to the fast moving game of craps, the casinos were willing and ready for the expansion of the game in their casinos. As this generation began to mature and decrease their visits to the casinos, the popularity of the game saw a noted decrease. During this time, table games took a backseat as casino floor space was increasingly dedicated to slot machine play.
This trend is even now beginning to change, and the industry is starting to see a resurgence of table game popularity. One of the important aspects fueling this increase in demand is attributed to the level of entertainment value expected by customers. Many casino game players consider participating in a live table game like craps to be among the highest of table game excitements.
In part, this resurgence in table game interest can be attributed to the introduction of variations in game play for these traditional games. This, combined with the emergence of a new breed of gamers exposed to internet gaming, has resulted in a global explosion in this field. Several variations in the game of craps can be found in prior art examples, including U.S. Pat. No. 6,688,587 to Jones, issued Feb. 10, 2004, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated. Another example may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 6,520,503 to Porto, issued Feb. 18, 2003. The Porto '503 patent is also incorporated here by reference, and describes a game method that can be characterized as a merger of craps and roulette in the same game using a modified roulette wheel as a point generation device. In Porto, the standard numbers of a roulette wheel are changed to reflect dice numbers, as shown in FIG. 3 of that patent.
A particular shortcoming of prior art craps games like those described above involve the requirement that a player possess both value cheques and non-value color chips to play the entire game. The purchase of chips or tokens is an expensive investment for a casino, in view of the fact that both value cheques and non-value chips must be provided for every table game. Furthermore, a game dealer must handle both value cheques and non-value chips during each round of play, thereby slowing each game. Consequently, not many hands can be played per hour. Alternatively a so-called “Mucker” must be provided to assist the dealer in handling the color, non-value chips required in the prior art method of play. Often, costs associated with labor are the single largest component of overhead costs for the casinos. With the prior art style of play, therefore, the casino labor costs will be higher if they wish to increase the speed of game play.
Furthermore, the risk of mistake or fraud is enhanced due to the use of non-value color chips together with the value cheques. In all, the prior art methods are not conducive to the fast paced game play which is increasingly attractive to the newer breed of game players, and also more profitable for casino operators.
And still further, the so-called “Bottom Half” math of the prior art games such as that described by Porto is deficient and not attractive to casinos. For example, according to Porto, players are given a 100% return on the numbers 5 and 9 and an 83.333% return on the 7. These are referred to as a player's negative expectation of zero on the 5 and 9, and a negative expectation of 16.667% on the number 7. A knowledgeable player is likely to appreciate this disparity and bet the 5 and 9 on the Bottom Half math. Consequently, a commercial gaming company is unlikely to place a game like that described by Porto on their playing floor due to the lack of a sufficient house edge. The odds bet on a craps game is the only even odds in a casino. This is allowed on a traditional craps game because a player must place another bet before being allowed to make the odds wager.
And further still, it is important to note that in the game method described in the Porto patent, if a player achieves a 7, they push all color bets. This is considered a shortcoming for reasons that will be described subsequently.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved method for playing a table game which will be familiar to players yet at the same time include intriguing and novel elements of play, and which enables faster mucking and more hands per hour than traditional games of craps. The proposed game should be sufficiently distinct from traditional games that new levels of excitement and interest are generated without being so different from familiar game methods that players are confused or not intrigued at first impression.